A few hours later, Zelgadis and Amelia caught up to Landen, who had stopped as was waiting for them.
"Why'd you stop?" Zelgadis asked him.
Shrugging, Landen said, "Seyruun is right ahead. I figured you could find your way from here. Besides, I don't really care to go into Seyruun."
Amelia crossed her arms in indignation. Seyruun was not bad, they were good peaceful people.
Pushing himself away from the tree he was leaning against, Landen started to walk away. "'Bye!" he called. "Nice meeting you, Amy-- Er, Amelia!"
After forcing herself to wave back, Amelia faced the trail. Seyruun was just ahead. Just beyond those last few trees. As soon as she stepped out of the woods, her freedom would disappear. She'd once again be trapped inside Seyruun's walls, trying to be somebody she didn't want to be. But she couldn't be herself anywhere. Even when she ran off to be herself, she had to change her identity and become another different person. Amelia let out s heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping.
Zelgadis noticed her despondent stance, and said, "Remember, you can always ask Prince Phil to let you travel for a while."
Nodding, Amelia said vaguely, "Yeah..."
"Let's go," Zelgadis said, and started walking down the trail.
For a second, Amelia didn't follow. She considered running off again. But as soon as she thought it, she dismissed it. There was no way that would happen. Zelgadis would catch her. Dejectedly, Amelia began to follow Zelgadis, keeping to a very slow pace, nearly dragging her feet.
Zelgadis was actually a little worried for Amelia. Did she really dislike being a princess that much? He couldn't say he'd been in the same situation, but he could understand what she felt. And to someone who'd normally had things turn out the way she'd expected, this was definitely depressing. She'd probably envisioned a princess going out and saving people and a hero or something. Reality must have been quite a shock.
Amelia kicked a rock on the trail. She sighed again, and looked up. Zelgadis was quite a ways in front of her. With another sigh, she hurried to catch up with him. "Zelgadis-san?" she asked.
"Hmm?"
"Promise you'll stay in Seyruun for a little while before you leave again?" Amelia asked him.
Zelgadis looked down at her, and said sincerely, "I promise."
Finally, a smile cracked Amelia's face. "Thank you," she said.
Ahead, the trees began to thin, and the trail started to fade away. The sounds of the forest were beginning to dim, and Amelia could see the giant white walls that foretold the boundaries of Seyruun. She bit her lip, and made herself keep walking. She had to face this challenge. She could face it. She'd be strong, just like the heroes in her fairy tales. Just like Lina. Just like Gourry. Just like Zelgadis. All of them would be able to do it, and so could she.
Zelgadis and Amelia left the freedom of the forest, and walked directly for the white gate in the tall white walls. When they were close enough, the guards at the gate stiffened and prepared to question them.
"Princess?" one of the guards asked. "Princess, is that you?"
Amelia nodded slowly.
Instantly, two of the guards ran forward and grabbed each of Zelgadis's arms, holding them behind his back. Another ran to open the gates, and yet another started pulling Amelia away from Zelgadis.
"Don't struggle," a guard told Zelgadis. "You're under arrest for the kidnap of Princess Amelia."
"Kidnap?!" Amelia shouted. "Wait! No!"
Zelgadis didn't struggle at all, and just went along as the guards dragged him through the walls, through the streets, and into a dungeon. Surprisingly, even the dungeon was clean and white, just like the rest of the city. He was shoved in roughly, and he braced himself against the wall to keep from falling to the ground. The heavy door closed, and Zelgadis heard the lock fall.
Slowly, Zelgadis sat down against the wall. What the hell had just happened? They thought he'd kidnapped Amelia? Sighing, Zelgadis leaned his head back. It was a reasonable assumption. Amelia had just run off, which she normally wouldn't do, and she showed up again in the presence of a stranger who just happened to be a chimera. Those guards had a right to be suspicious. But, still... he'd never even thought for half a moment about kidnapping Amelia. He cared about her too much to do something that would endanger her.